China: Why Import Promotion Could Increase Trade Surplus

2018-11-30

China’s just-launched International Import Expo, which will be an annual event, has attracted thousands of companies from dozens of countries with the promise of large orders from Chinese firms. But, if the expo contributes to increasing imports, China’s export sectors will benefit too, according to an article from World Economic Forum.

Countries often devote public funds to promoting exports of their own goods and services. But devoting resources to promote imports – as China is doing with its inaugural International Import Expo, which just opened in Shanghai – is truly rare.

If the expo succeeds in raising imports, one might expect it to reduce China’s trade surplus. But that doesn’t have to be the case.